US2534705A

US2534705A - Flush tank lever guide

Info

Publication number: US2534705A
Application number: US603694A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gertz Samuel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-07-07
Filing date: 1945-07-07
Publication date: 1950-12-19
Anticipated expiration: 1967-12-19

Description

Dec. 19, 1950 s. GERTZ 2,534,705

' FLUSH TANK LEVER GUIDE Filed July 7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR I ATTORNEY Dec. 19, 1950 s, GERTz 2,534,705

FLUSH TANK LEVER GUIDE Filed July '7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I .g ja

' INVENTOR BY mmxmk 9M ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUSH TANK LEVER GUIDE Samuel Gertz, Jamaica, N. Y.

Application July 7, 1945, Serial No. 603,694

Claims.

This invention relates to flush tanks and more particularly to valve mechanism for controlling the discharge of water from a flush tank.

Such tanks are commonly used for water closets and have a buoyant valve that closes a discharge opening at the bottom of the tank. When the valve is in closed position it is held down by the pressure of the water above it, but when raised so that there is water under the valve as well as over it, the buoyancy of the valve causes it to float and descend gradually with the water level so that substantially the entire contents of the tank are discharged through the outlet before the valve returns to its closed position.

Since the person operating the valve cannot be expected to hold the mechanism in its valveopening osition long enough for the water to fiow out of the tank, it is necessary to provide a lost motion connection between the valve and its operating mechanism so that the operating mechanism can return to its original starting position while the valve remains open.

The valve must be guided, and because of the fact that it must be light enough to be buoyant, the force for closing the valve is limited; and it is a common experience to have such valves stick in their guides and fail to close properly.

Many valves of special construction have been devised to insure consistent closing, but such valves have not gone into general use because the conventional constructions have the advantage of simplicity and low cost.

It is an object of this invention to provide improved valve-operating mechanism that prevents sticking of the valve while maintaining the simplicity and low cost of conventional constructions.

I have discovered that by making only minor changes in the structure of the conventional valve-operating mechanism, consistent closing of the valve can be insured. The cause of sticking so often encountered with such valves has not been understood. Rough or corroded valve stems have generally been blamed for the condition, and temporary relief of the trouble has been obtained by smoothing down such valve stems or by replacing them with new ones. While the reduction in friction prevents the valve from sticking as easily or as often, I have discovered that sticking can be entirely eliminated, even with roughened valve stems. Such sticking results from a bias that is transverse of the line of movement of the valve stem and imparted to the valve stem or its operating link by the main operating lever.

This invention provides guide means that maintain the end of the main operating lever in a definite relation to the line of movement of the valve stem, and this relation is so chosen that the operating mechanism imparts no transverse bias to the valve stem or its operating link when the main operating lever has returned to its initial starting position after opening the valve. It is a feature of the invention that the lever is guided by means independent of the valve stem. Although some embodiments of the invention maintain the definite relation for all positions of the operating lever, it is suflicient that the position of the lever be definite when the lever has returned to its normal or starting position, since this is its position during the time that the valve is descending by gravity to close the water outlet.

some features of the invention relate to constructions for utilizing the existing fittings of the usual flush tank as supporting means for the lever guides of this invention.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.

In the drawing, forming a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a top plan view, partly broken away and in section, showing a flush tank with the cover removed, and with the overflow pipe in position to serve as a guide for the operating lever.

Figure 2 is a front view, mostly in section, along the line 22 of Figure 1, and with a cover on the tank.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, with the cover on the tank.

Figure 4 is an enlarged top plan view showing a modified form of guide means for the operating lever.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the upper part of the modified structure shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an end View showing a second modified form of the invention, the view being partly in section on the line 66 of Figure '7.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the structure shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a third modified construction using a single guide and a bifurcated end on the operating lever.

Figure 9 is a front view of the structure shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is another modified construction in which the operating lever exerts a direct pull on the valve stem and is guided only during the final portion of its return movement.

Figure 11 is a front view of the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figure 10. I

A flush tank [5 has a fitting l6 extending through an outlet in the bottom of the tank. This bottom fitting l5 has a face that fits against the top surface of the tank bottom and has a downwardly extending outlet pipe 18 which is 3 connected with the closet bowl. The fitting I5 is clamped in place by a nut is that screws on the threads of the outlet pipe la. The nut i9 clamps a gasket 23 against the outside of the tank bottom around the Quiet pipe 18.

An overflow pipe 22 extends upward from the fitting IG and forms an integral part of the fitting. There is a passage in the fitting through which water that enters the top of the overflow pipe 22 flows into the outlet pipe i8. Before the nut is has been tightened, the fitting It may be rotated in the opening through the tank bottom to position the overflow pipe 22 at any desired location around the axis of the outlet. The specific construction thus far described is conventional and well understood in the art.

There are

brackets

23 and 26 with split ends that clamp on the overflow pipe 22, and these brackets have vertical openings near their outer ends through which a valve stem 25 passes. The

brackets

23 and 22 serve as guides for the valve stem 26. In some constructions there is a single bracket 23 with spaced guides for the valve stem supported by a single bracket from the overflow pipe 22.

The valve stein 2-3 is rigidly connected to a buoyant valve 28 that seats in the upper end of the outlet opening through the fitting it to prevent the escape of water from the tank. Figures 2 and 3 show a cover 23 on top of the tank, and show the valve 28 in closed position. Even though this valve is buoyant, it is held in closed position by the pressure of Water above it in the tank. When the valve is raised so that the water comes under it, the buoyancy of the valve causes it to float, and to descend with the water level so that it does not close until the tank is substantially empty. 7

The upper end of the valve stem 2% is curved to form an eye 29, and there is a link '38 with an eye at its lower end extending around the valve stem 23. This eye at the bottom of the connecting link 30 is large enough to fit loosely around the valve stem but smaller than the eye 29 so that when the connecting link 38 is raised by a main operating lever 32-, the valve stem 26 is raised and the valve 23 moved into open position. The link 38 has a hook at its upper end which extends through an opening in the operating lever 32.

The main operating lever 32 extends lengthwise of the tank i5 and is supported by a fulcrum at the front of the tank. This fulcrum comprises a square pin 35 that turns in a bushing 36. The pin 35 is preferably an integral part of a manually actuated lever 37 located outside of the tank l5. The bushing 36 is threaded and clamped in place by a nut 38 that contacts with the inside surface of the front wall of the tank. The operating lever 32 has a square opening into which the pin 35 fits, and the lever 32 is held on the pin 35 by a nut 39 that threads over the end of the pin 35.

With this construction angular movement of the manually actuated lever 31 causes the operating lever 32 to move angularly about the axis of the pin 35. The bushing 35 is above water level of the tank I 5, when the tank is full, and the pin 35 fits loosely in the bushing 35. There is sufficient clearance between the nut 39 and the inner end of the bushing so that the fulcrum end of the lever 32 has some lateral play and operates freely with a minimum of friction.

Because of the fact that the fulcrum for. the lever 32 is located at the front wall of the tank,

and the valve 28 is located midway between the front and back walls of the tank, the operating lever 32 is made with a transversely extending portion that locates the free end of the operating lever at a convenient region for connection with the valve 28. This shape of the operating lever 32, with the transversely extending portion intermediate its ends, unbalances the operating lever so that play or clearance of the lever 32 on the fulcrum pin 35 results in a transverse sagging of the free end of the lever, and this sagging becomes greater if the play increases. In the conventional flush tank such transverse sagging makes the position of the operating lever with respect to the axis of the discharge opening indefinite and sometimes tilts the connecting link between the operating lever and the valve stem, or gives the valve stem a transverse bias so that the valve does not properly return to closed position.

The sagging of the operating lever 32 can be allowed for when initially connecting it with the valve, but I have found that the position of the operating lever does not remain constant, apparently because of small changes in the position of the fulcrum and of the operating lever, and the multiplication of these small changes by the comparatively long length 'of the operating lever 32.

In the construction shown in Figures 1 to 3, the fitting 28 at the bottom of the tank is rotated into a position that locates the overflow pipe 22 on the forward side of the operating lever 32 and in a position to guide the vertical movement of the operating lever and to maintain it in a constant and definite relation to the discharge opening and to the valve stem 23 when the valve 218 is in closed position. By using the overflow pipe 22 as a guide, the construction shown in Figures 1 to 3 takes advantage of the existing structure and avoids the necessity of providing a separate guide element. The

brackets

23 and 24 "do not interfere with the guiding of the operating lever 32 by the overflow pipe 22 because these brackets are located below the bottom limit of travel of the operating lever.

Figures 4 and 5 show a modified construction in Which a guide pin 42 extends through a slot 33 in an operating lever 44. The guide pin "22 has its lower end provided with threads 46 that screw into a projection 4T on the side of a bracket 4'8 clamped to the overflow pipe 22. The threads 43 permit vertical adjustment of the guide pin 52 and the pin can be located in any adjusted position by means of a lock nut 18.

The free "end of the operating lever M is connected with the stem 26 "of the valve 23 by link 30 as in the construction shown 'in Figures 1 to 3. Except for the projection ll, the bracket 48 shown in Figures 4 and 5 "is similar in construction to the

bracket

23 or 24 of Figures 1 to 3 and it is clamped on the overflow pipe '22 by 'a bolt 59.

Figures 6 and 7 show another modified construction in which the operating lever 32 is guided transversely by

guide rods

53 and 54 at tached at their lower ends to the fitting i6 and held in parallel relation by a connector 53 that fits over the upper ends of these

guide rods

53 and 54. The upper 'endsof the

guide rods

53 and 5 4 are preferably of reduced "d'ia'rne'ter and threaded to receive nuts "58 that hold the nonnector 56 in position. These guide rods '53 and 54 are threaded into the fitting i6 at their lower ends. The construction shown in Figures =6 and 7 has the advantage that it can be used with the conventional operating lever 32.

Figures 8 and 9 show a modified construction in which a single guide rod BI is used in place of the parallel guide rods of Figures 6 and 7. This guide rod 6! has a threaded lower end that screws into the fitting it, and it is used with a special operating lever "62 having a forked end with hearing faces 64 and 65 that contact with opposite sides of the guide rod 6! if the operating lever 62 shifts in either, direction out of the desired zone of travel.

Figures 10 and 11 show a modified construction in which an operating lever 12 transmits motion to the valve stem 26 without use of any intermediate connecting link. In this construction the operating lever 12 extends across the axis of the discharge outlet and has a bifurcated end that extends on both sides of the valve stem 26. There is a Washer 'iia around the valve stem just below the eye 29, and this washer 14 extends across the slot in the end of the lever l2 so that upward movement of the lever 12 raises the washer M which in turn lifts the valve stem 26 to open the valve 28.

At its lower limit of travel the operating lever 12 rests on a bracket 16 which is clamped to the overflow pipe 22 by a clamping bolt l1. This bracket 16 has a guide bearing 18 through which the valve stem 26 extends, and there is a guide pin 8i at the outer end of the bracket l6 in position to extend into the slot in the ends of the operating lever 12.

The guide pin 80 has a threaded lower end that screws into the bracket l6. A lock nut 8| secures the guide pin 88 in position. The guide pin 80 is preferably of short length so that when the operating lever 12 is moved upward to open the valve 28, the operating lever travels beyond the end of the guide pin 80, but the upper end of the guide pin 80 is tapered or pointed so that the operating lever 12 will shift to the right or left if necessary as it comes down on the guide pin after being raised to open the valve.

With the construction shown in Figures 10 and 11, the operating lever 12 has transverse guiding means for maintaining it in a definite relation to the axis of the discharge outlet only when the operating lever 72 is in, or close to,

its initial starting position. The object of this invention is obtained, however, by maintaining the operating lever in a definite relation to the discharge outlet when the operating lever has returned to starting position because this is the position of the operating lever during the time that the final discharge of water from the tank is taking place and the buoyant valve 28 is returning to closed position.

Misalignments of the valve stem and valve-operating mechanism during the time that the valve is wide open do not adversely affect the operation of the flush tank, provided, that the proper relation of the operating lever and the discharge outlet is restored before the water level drops to that of the discharge outlet. The slot in the bifurcated end of the lever 12, and the pointed upper end of the guide pin 80 must be correlated to allow for the maximum transverse displacement of the operating lever during the time that a be used without others without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for controlling the discharge of water from a flush tank, said apparatus comprising a valve commanding an outlet at the bottom of the tank, a stem extending upward from the valve, a fulcrum at one side of the tank, an operating lever supported by the fulcrum and movable about a fulcrum axis extending substantially normal to the length of the tank, said operating lever extending from the fulcrum lengthwise of the tank and across a portion of the width of the tank away from the fulcrum side of the tank, an actuator for operating the lever, a connection between the Valve stem and the end of the lever remote from the fulcrum, and an up-' wardly extending guide surface independent of the valve stem and disposed at a fixed location in the tank between the operating lever and the side of the tank on which the fulcrum is located, said guide surface being in position to be con tacted by the end portion of the lever remote from the actuator and adjacent the connection of the lever with the valve stem so that the lever is held in a definite relation with respect to the valve stem.

2. Apparatus for controlling the discharge of water from a flush tank, said apparatus comprising a valve commanding an outlet at the bottom of the tank, a stem extending upward from the valve, a fulcrum at one side of the tank, an operating lever supported by the fulcrum and movable about a fulcrum axis extending substantially normal to the length of the tank, said operating lever extending from the fulcrum lengthwise of the tank and across a portion of the width of the tank away from the fulcrum side of the tank, an actuator for operating the lever, a connection between the valve stem and the end of the lever remote from the fulcrum, and an upwardly extending guide surface independent of the valve stem and disposed at a fixed location in the tank, which location is such that when the operating lever is in the normal position which it occupies when. the valve is closed, the guide surface is between at least a portion of the operating lever and the side of the tank on which the fulcrum is located, said guide surface being in position to be contacted by the end portion of the lever remote from the actuator and adjacent the connection of the lever with the valve stem so that the lever is held in a definite relation with respect to the valve stem.

3. In a flush tank, an outlet fitting extending through an opening in the bottom of the tank, an overflow pipe extending upward from the fitting and offset from the axis of the opening through which the fitting extends, means for clamping the fitting against rotation after the fitting has been turned to bring the overflow pipe into a desired position, a valve commanding the outlet of said fitting, and a valve-operating lever with one side contacting with the overflow pipe as a guide to prevent lateral displacement of the lever.

4. In a flush tank of greater length than width and having a buoyant valve for controlling the escape of water through a bottom outlet of the tank, guide means above the bottom outlet for restraining the valve against lateral displacement while it is in open position, an operating lever extending throughout most of the length of the tank, a fulcrum supported by a front wall of the tank and connected with one end of the operating lever, an actuator that moves the operating lever between raised and lowered positions, means connecting the other end of the lever with the valve, and vertically extending guide means independent of the valve and rigidly connected with the tank at a location remote from the fulcrum and having a surface in position to contact with a bearing face at said other end of the lever to maintain that end of the lever that is remote froin the fulcrum in a definite lateral position with respect to the line of movement of the valve whenever said lever approaches its lowered position.

5. Valve-operating mechanism for a flush tank including a lever connected at one end to a fulcrum supported by a side of the tank, said lever extending generally lengthwise of the tank to a location above a discharge opening in the bottom of the tank, a valve connected with the free end portion of the lever remote from the fulcrum, and parallel guide surfaces between which the free end portion of the lever moves during its operation of the valve and its return to its initial starting position.

6. Valve-operating mechanism for the valve of a flush tank, said operating mechanism including a fulcrum supported from the front wall of the tank, an operating lever movable angularly about a fulcrum axis that extends inward transversely of the tank, said lever extending lengthwise of the tank and transversely away from the front wall of the tank for a distance substantially greater than the inward extent of the fulcrum beyond the front wall of the tank, a valve for controlling the escape of water from a bottom outlet of the flush tank, a stem extending upward from the valve, guide means above the bottom outlet for restrainin the valve against lateral displacement while it is in open position, means connecting the operating lever with the valve stem, and a substantially vertical, stationary guide independent of the valve stem and in a fixed relation to the discharge outlet and located on the front side of the operating lever in position to contact a surface of said lever remote from the fulcrum axis and maintain it in a definite relation to the outlet of the flush tank.

'7. A flush tank having a bottom discharge opening, a buoyant valve commanding said discharge opening, an off-set lever for lifting the valve from the discharge opening, said lever being supported at one end by a fulcrum, located at the front of the tank, and an overflow pipe in the tank in front of the lever, the lower end of said overflow pipe being located adjacent the discharge opening and said overflow pipe having a surface in position to contact with the end portion of the lever remote from the fulcrum to serve as a guide and to prevent lateral displacement of the operating lever in one direction.

8. The apparatus described in claim 2 and in which the end of the operating lever remote from the fulcrum is bifurcated, and in which said upwardly extending guide surface is on a guide element that extends upward between the bifurcations.

9. The apparatus described in claim 2 and in which the end of the operating lever remote from the fulcrum is bifurcated, and in which the connection between the valve stem and the end of the lever comprises an element on the upper end of the valve stem spanning the opening between the bifurcations, through which opening the valve stem extends.

10. The apparatus described in claim 2 and in which the end of the operating lever remote from the fulcrum is bifurcated, and in which both the valve stem and a device on which the upwardly extending guide surface is located extend through the opening at the bifurcated end of the lever, and the valve stem is lifted by an element that spans said opening at the bifurcated end of the lever.

SAMUEL GERTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 362,897 McHugh May 10, 1887 732,095 Marcellus June 30, 1903 841,487 Day Jan. 15, 1907 943,131 Zwermann Dec. 14, 1909 999,619 Young Aug. 1, 1911 1,074,411 Crocker Sept. 30, 1913 1,075,681 Bamford Oct. 14, 1913 1,168,530 Meaker Jan. 18, 1916 1,767,519 Duncan June 24, 1930 2,188,457 Giansetto Jan. 30, 1940